The story of the Savoy's founders, through three generations and a hundred years of luxury

In 1889, Victorian theatre impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte opened The Savoy, Britain's first luxury hotel. Allowing the rich to live like royalty, it attracted glamour, scandal and a cast of eccentric characters, with the D'Oyly Carte family elevated to a unique vantage point on high society.

The Secret Life of the Savoy tells their story through three generations: Richard, the showman; Rupert, the empire builder; and Bridget, the reluctant heiress.

In this, the first biography of the family, Olivia Williams revives their extraordinary cultural legacy, told through the prism of their iconic hotel and its many distinguished guests.

'A cracking good read and a fascinating story that - amazingly - has not been told before.' Telegraph